Turning 18

Approximately 58,000 developmentally disabled children reach the age of 18 in Florida every year. Unfortunately, that milestone means that parents no longer have the legal right to make decisions on their child’s behalf. And depending upon the extent of the disability, that restriction can be a nightmare for the family.

Fortunately, there are steps parents can take to preserve those rights while still protecting the civil rights of their child. We created Turning18.org to help parents navigate the legal options and find the right solution for their family.

Partnering with GAPS Legal, PLLC founer, Michelle Kenney, Turning18.org was soft-launched in July, 2018, working with both advocates and end users to fine-tune the tool. An official launch event was held in December, 2018, hosted by Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad College of Law and Olga M. Torres, the Clinical Fellow at the Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD). The online tool provides parents with a step-by-step guide to the different legal options and also offers assistance with related document completion and assembly.

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Turning 18 launch seminar held at Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad College of Law

Turning18 Launch

Michelle Kenney presents Olga Torres with a Certificate of Appreciation at our launch.

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(c) 2018 Florida Justice Technology Center

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